Car coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. TURNBULL.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented July 28, 1885.

III

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WALTER TURNBULL, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,998, dated July 28,1885.

(No model.)

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .WALTER TURNBULL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented a new and useful Automatic Car-Coupler, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplers, by which cars canbe automatically coupled or uncoupled by a hook or grip coupling, or bya link-coupling; and the objects of my improvements are, first, toprovide a means by which the operation of coupling cars together isabsolutely automatic; second, to aiford'facilities by which the presentsystem of link-and-pin'couplers can be gradually and eventually entirelysubstituted by a hook or grip coupler, which would save the great amountof money lost bythe theft or loss of coupling links and pins, as alsofacilitate the making up of trains and switching of cars in yards, 82c.third, to provide a means by which my improved automatic carcoupler willautomatically couple and uncouple from either side or top of car, withthe present system of link-and-pin couplers, so that my coupler can begradually adopted by replacing the present link-and-pin couplers as theywear out, and equipping all new roll- "ing stock with my coupler, asarranged to work in conjunction with the link-and-pin coupler, so thatin the course of a few years the link-and-pin coupler will be entirelydone away with, when the mechanism required to operate my couplerwiththelink-and-pin coupler can be dispensed with, and the coupling will bea simple grip or hook coupler consisting of but two pieces; fourth, toprovide facilities by which the cars will uncouple when one car jumpsfrom the track, which feature might in many cases prevent untolddisasters to both life and property; fifth, to provide a means by whichthe cars can be coupled and uncoupled only from the sides or top of car,rendering it entirely unnecessary and useless for railway employs toendanger their limbs and lives by going between the cars to perform theoperation of coupling or uncoupling cars; sixth, to afford facilities bywhich my coupler can be shaped so as to replace any of the manydifferent patterns of link-and-pin couplers without disturbing thetimber of car or requiring new fittings; seventh, to afford facilitiesby which my coupler can be constructed of but few parts, and all theparts made fast and secure, so that there will be no loss caused bytheft or loosing of parts; eighth,to afford facilities by which the carswill be separated the same distance apart as they now are by thelink-and-pincouplers; ninth, to pro vide a means by which my coupler canbe operated automatically without the necessity of any springs, chains,or other parts liable to render the operation imperfect or not positiveand reliable; tenth, to provide a means by which my coupler can be setso that it will not couple cars together, which feature is verynecessary to save time and facilitate the flyenth, to provide a means bywhich the cars will have as much slack as is desirable, to enable theengine to start a long heavy train of cars gradually; twelfth, to affordfacilities by which my coupler can carry a coupling-link secured tosame, which can be used to couple automatically with a linlcand-pindraw-head,

thirteenth, to afford facilities by which my coupler can automaticallycouple together by the coupling-link in case the hooks or grips becomebroken or deranged; fourteenth, to provide a means by which the engineand tender can be coupled and uncoupled to the first car of train by theengineer or fireman from the enginecab, which feature will materiallyfacilitate the switching of cars and making up of trains in the yards;fifteenth, to provide means by which my coupler can be coupled togetherby grips or hooks, or by link, or with a common link-and-pin coupler oncurves; sixteenth, to afford facilities by which my coupler is operatedto couple with either the hook or link by one motion of levers fromeither side or top of car, and also to lock and maintain the coupler ineither position, so that there may be no chance of setting the partswrong or of their shaking down. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 4are,respectively, a plan and side view of my couplers, showing the positionof parts when coupled together by the hooks or grips. Fig. 2 is a sideView showing the ing and switching of the cars in yard; elev-- in casethe coupling-link of same is missing;

' and-pin coupler.

position of the parts of my coupler when about to couple with alink-and-pin draw head, the link of which is missing. Fig. 3 is asideview showing position of parts when coupled by a common coupling-linkwith the present link- Fig. 5 is an end view of coupler. Figs. 6 and 7are, respectively, a side and plan View of the hook or grip lever. Fig.8 is a side View of my couplers. showing posit-ion of parts when coupledtogether by the link. Fig. 9 is a transverse section on plan, N N,showing position of pawls and operating mechanism. Figs. 10 and 11 are,respectively, a plan and side view of link-levers. Figs. 12, 13, and 14are, respectively, a side, plan, and end view of the subtendedcoupling-link. Fig. 15 shows the application of my coupler to thetender, and levers for operating same from the enginecab. Figs. 16 and17 show the application of my coupler to a box freight-car.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The front end of draw-head B is shaped to receive and guide a commoncoupling-link, as shown on plan, and is provided with recesses to admitof the hook or grip lever H, and the link-lever L, and pawls a and b.

The back end of the draw-head B is shaped to suit the fittings of anycoupler it may replace, or to a standard design for new cars. l

The hook or grip lever H and link-lever L are secured to draw-head B bythe pin 12, the levers being fitted loose on the pin 12.

The grip g of the hook-levers H is shaped as shown in drawings, so thatthe grip g of one draw-head will ride over and engage with the grip ofthe otherdraw-head. The face of these grips y can be made beveled, todraw together, as shown in Fig. 1; or they may be made straight, or withprojections and corresponding recesses on face of grips to lock same together.

The link-lever L is provided with the hook it, so shaped that acoupling-link will ride under and engage with it, as shown in Fig. 3,andis also provided with a shank, Q, to form a bearing for pawl b.

Secured to the link-lev'er L by the pin i is a link, Z, provided withthe shank K and 0, the object ofshank K being to keep the link-lever inposition to receive a coupling-link when link-lever is down, as shown inFig. 3. The object of shank 0 is to maintain the link Zin position to beguided into the approaching draw-head, as shown in Fig. 2. The forwardend of link-lever L and of link I is shaped to a point, as shown indrawings, so that the grip g of hook-lever H will ride under the hook itof link-lever L, should the link-lever L and hook-lever H be down indraw-heads which are coming together.

The hook-lever H and link-lever L are uncoupled and operated by thepawls a and b, placed in recesses in front end of draw-head B and underthe levers, as shown in drawings. These pawls a and b are secured to asquare shaft, f, running through the drawhead B, and

connecting by swivel-joints t with operating rod 1', extending to sidesof car, and bent to form handles or levers v, by which the coupler isoperated from either side of the car, the rods 1- being held in positionby the hearings to, secured to ends of car.

The coupler is operated from the top of the car by the rod cl, connectedto the rod 4' by the lever e,- and terminating in a handle, in, at thetop of car. This rod d is maintained and guided by the guide or bearingon on the end of car.

The pawls av and b are so placed on the shaft f that when the pawl alift-s the hook-lever up and out of the way the pawl 1) allows thelinklevcr L to fall in position to automatically couple with alink-and-pin coupler, and when the pawl a has raised the hook-lever H itas sumes the position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 8,

and the pawl a iskept from going farther around by the casting. as shownin Fig. 3, and the position of pawl a, when it has raised the hook-leverH, being past the vertical and inclined backward against the casting ofdrawheads, forms a lock for maintaining the hooklever H, and keeps samefrom jolting or falling down, and is further assisted by arranging thehandles or levers v or rods 7', so that when the heavy hook-lever H isup, or in the position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 8, they hang down, asshown in Fig. 9. When the pawl!) has raised the link-lever L up and outof the way, the pawls a and I) assume the position shown in Fig. 4, andthey are locked and maintained in this position by the heavy hookleverH, resting on point of pawl a, which maintains the link-lever L andkeeps same from jolting down.

The coupling on end of tender is operated by the rod a, connecting withthe lever p to the rod 1* of draw-head, the other end of rod u beingattached to lever 31 working in the fulcrum z.

. P represents a common link-and-pin drawhead, and R the outlines ofbox-car, showing the relative position of same with couplers.

C isa projection cast on the under side of draw-head, to form an evensurface for same to rest in strap 8, suspended from the outer ends ofdraft-timbers.

" A represents a common coupling-link.

Having thus described the construction of my improved automaticcar-coupler, the operation of same is as follows: Suppose it be desiredto couple up cars which are equipped with my automatic coupler by thehook or grip coupling, the handles or levers v are turned over, and thepawls a and b and the hook-lever H and link-lever L assume the positionshown in Fig. 4, when the cars come together and the grip g of thehook-lever H of one car rides over and engages with the grip of theother car, as shown in Fig. 4.

Cars which are coupled together by the hook or grip coupler areuncoupled by turning the handles or levers '2) back until the pawls aand b and hook-lever H and link-lever L assome the position shown inFig. 3, when the cars can be pulled apart. Suppose it be desired, forreason of the breaking of the-hooklevers H or other cause, to couple upcars equipped with my coupler by the link Z: The handles or levers v areturned until the pawls a and I) andhookleverH and link-levers L assumethe position shown in Fig. 3, when the link Z, secured by pin 1 tolink-lever L of one car is pulled over,and is maintained, in theposition shown in Fig. 2, by the shank 0 resting on casting ready to beguided into the draw-head of the next car. WVhen the cars come together,and the link lrides under and automatically engages with the hook h ofthe linklever L of the advancing car, as shown in Fig. 8, and isuncoupled by turning the handies or levers o of the car, having the linkZ turned back 011 link-lever L, till the pawls a and b, and hook-lever Hand link-lever L assume the position shown in Fig. 4, when the cars canbe pulled apart.

Suppose it be desired to couple a car equipped with my automatic couplerwith a car equipped with a link-and-pin coupler having a coupling-link Ain same: The handles or levers '0 are turned till the pawls a and I),

hook-lever H, and link-lever L assume the position shown in Fig. 3, thehook it of the link-lever L being kept in position to receive thecoupling -link A, by the shanks K on link Z resting on casting ordraw-head B, when the cars come together and the coupling-link A ridesunder and engages with the hook h of link-lever L, as shown in Fig. 3,and is uncoupled by turning the handles or levers '0 until the pawls aand b, and hook-lever H, and link-levers L assume the position shown inFig. 4, when the cars can be pulled apart.

Suppose it be desired to couple a car equipped with my coupler with acar which is equipped with a link-and-pin coupler the coupling-link ofwhich is missing: The levers or handles 1) are moved till the pawls cand b, hook-lever H, and link-lever L assume the position shown in Fig.3, when the link 1 is pulled over, which allows the link-lever L to fallto the position shown in Fig. 2, and the link Z is maintained inposition to be guided into the approaching draw-head by the shank oresting on inclined surface of the draw-head B. The pin in thelink-and-pin draw-head is placed as shown in Fig. 2, when the cars cometogether, and the link Z rides into the link-and-pin draw-head and theshock of contact shakes the pin down and couples same, and is uncoupledby drawing the couplingpiu of the link-andpin coupler, when the cars canbe pulled apart. 1

Mycoupler can be operated from top of box-cars by the rod d, and it canbe operated by the engineer or fireman from the enginecab by the rodua-nd'lever Y,as shown in Fig. 15.

Having thus described the construction and operation ,of my improvedautomatic carcoupling, I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent 7 1. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of thedraw-head B, provided with recess for hook-lever H, andpawl a, with thehook-lever H, secured to draw-head by pin n, and provided with grip g,and pawl a, shaft f, rod r, and handle 12, all substantially as setforth and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in an automatic carcoupler, of the draw-head B,shaped at front end to guide and receive a common couplinglink andprovided with recesses to receive the pawls a and b, hook-lever H, andlink-lever L, and projection G, with the hook-lever H, provided withgrip g, and the link-lever L, provided with the hook h and shank Q, andthe pin a, all substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

3. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of the draw-head B,hook-lever H, and link-lever L with the pawls a and b, shaft f, rod 1",bearings w, rod d, handles m, and joints t, all substantially as setforth and for the purpose specified.

4. In an automatic car-coupler, the 001m bination of the draw-head B,hook-lever H, and link-lever L with the linkl, provided with pin 2', andshanks K and 0, all substantially as set forth.

5. In an automatic carcoupler, the combination of the pawls a and b andshaft f with the draw-head B, hook-lever H, link-lever L, rods d, andjoints it, all substantially as set forth.

6. In an automatic car-coupler, the linklevcr L, provided with hook itand shank Q, and the link l',provided with pin 2' and shanks K and 0,all substantially as described.

7. In an automatic oar-coupler, the combination of draw-head B,hook-lever H, and link -lever L with the pawls a and b, shaft f, rod 1',and the lever 1), rod a, and lever 3 working on fulcrum 2, allsubstantially as set forth and for the purpose specified.

WALTER TUBNBULL.

Witnesses A. G. BRIcE, ALBERT VOORHEES.

